How do I check to see if my Wisconsin child care is safe?
Choosing a child care program is a big decision.
There are a lot of factors to consider. For some families, it’s important that child care aligns with their values and beliefs. Teaching philosophies may also be reviewed. Affordability, proximity to home or work and safety are almost always on wish lists.
But vetting a child care program can be difficult, largely because programs’ specifics determine what steps you can take.
Here’s a guide to how parents can scope out the safety of prospective picks.
For some programs, there's an online list of regulation violations
In Wisconsin, certain early care and education programs can be found on childcarefinder.wisconsin.gov — along with any health, safety or other regulatory violations.
You can find the following programs on the site, all of which are monitored by Wisconsin's Department of Children and Families or the local certification agency:
- Licensed group centers
- Certified and licensed family child care programs, meaning those located in a provider's home
- Programs that are license-exempt, such as child care programs run by public schools, but that participate in YoungStar, the state's voluntary quality rating system. Public school child care programs that participate in YoungStar are monitored for health and safety violations, explained DCF Communications Director Gina Paige
- Private and parochial school child care programs that participate in YoungStar. These programs do not need to be licensed by DCF, but must be fully monitored by DCF if they participate in YoungStar
- All center-based Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Wisconsin
The site lists all violations for noncompliance during a monitoring visit — both big and small. DCF’s website lists serious licensing violations to be on the lookout for.
Because the site lists only certain providers, there are myriad child care options that are not on the site. If they’re absent, that does not necessarily mean the program is poor quality or otherwise unsafe. It just means that you will need to turn to other methods to assess quality.
State statute specifies that child care programs run by public schools are expected to abide by DCF's rules, regardless of whether they participate in YoungStar.
If a program participates, YoungStar ratings and national accreditation can give insight
Each program participating in YoungStar is evaluated every other year and assigned a star rating. The ratings consider the program’s curriculum, education of its teachers and other employees, business practices and more.
The highest possible rating is five stars, while a two-star rating means a program meets minimum health and safety standards, Paige said. A one-star program does not meet health and safety standards, so it cannot participate in YoungStar.
Keep in mind that programs may choose whether to participate in YoungStar for a variety of reasons. Many participate in YoungStar so they can accept Wisconsin Shares payments.
A program could be perfectly safe but not participate in YoungStar; the process is just another safeguard to ensure care is quality.
The same goes for accreditation, which is also voluntary. There are several accrediting bodies, both at the state and national level; each has its own standards for quality care. Oftentimes, these standards meet or surpass what’s required for state licensing.
Certain accreditations are considered equivalent to a high YoungStar rating. For more information, visit bit.ly/CCaccreditation.
Head Start monitoring reports are also online
Head Start programs are also subject to their own regulations, including Head Start Program Performance Standards.
The federal Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center’s website has a map of all Head Start sites. For each grantee — the entity running the site — you can view summary reports generated from federal monitoring, explained Shelly Bishop, CESA 7 Head Start/Early Head Start director.
Bishop encourages families to reach out to the program if they have any concerns.
More:What to know about Head Start preschool programs in Wisconsin
More:Early Head Start programming serves Wisconsin's youngest citizens. Here's what to know
You can learn a lot from visiting a child care program, Wisconsin DCF says
Regardless of a program’s regulation status, Paige and Rosalva Orozco, deputy director of DCF’s Bureau of Early Care Regulations, encourage families to visit. It’s important to do so both announced and unannounced, they said.
Child care resource and referral agencies may have checklists outlining what to look for when visiting a program. Here are a few examples:
- Hazardous materials are inaccessible to children
- Electrical outlets are covered with safety caps
- Staff are trained in first aid, CPR and SIDS (if applicable)
- Toys and the space are regularly cleaned
Seek opinions from other parents
Ask friends, family and other local parents what child care program their children attend and what they think of it. Social media groups for area parents can also be a great way to get ample feedback.
Madison Lammert covers child care and early education across Wisconsin as a Report for America corps member based at The Appleton Post-Crescent. To contact her, email [email protected] or call 920-993-7108. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to Report for America by visiting postcrescent.com/RFA.